Variable Capacitance And Pull-In Voltage Analysis Of Electrically Actuated Meander-Suspended Superconducting MEMS

N. AlCheikh[1], P. Xavier[1], J.M. Duchamp[1], C.H. Boucher[2], and K. Schuster[2]
[1]Institute of Microelectronics, Electromagnetism and Photonics (IMEP-LAHC), Minatec, Grenoble, France
[2]Institute of Millimetric Radio Astronomy (IRAM), Grenoble, France
Published in 2010

Variable capacitors between the fF and pF range are very interesting for high frequency applications like variable filters, resonators, etc. For radio astronomy applications variable capacitors, realized by electrostatically actuated, micromechanical Meanders-suspended bridges (MEMS) made of superconducting Niobium, have been measured to find C(V). A non plane capacitance behavior have been observed. To analyze these complex electromechanical devices, multiphysics COMSOL simulations of the bridges were performed. The simulations are in agreement with the theoretical approach and the measurements. Finally we can estimate the main electrical features C(V) and pull-in voltage.

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